9 GREAT Lesbian Audiobooks That Are Well-Narrated & Written

A photoset of eight different best lesbian audiobooks covers.

There’s been a lot of buzz around lesbian novels in recent years, but let’s be honest, sometimes the books are mid or overly cheesy, like something we might have written in fifth grade. Maybe it is because authentic representation has been so scarce that we’ve learned to celebrate even the crumbs we find. But I am here to spread hope. I have been on a mission to discover genuinely good sapphic books and lesbian audiobooks.

And with audio, the narration is just as critical as the story. A dull or lifeless narrator can ruin the whole vibe. Who wants to feel like they are being read to by a whispering, melodramatic Victorian ghost? Where is the energy? The spark? 

And what’s more delightful than diving into a good audiobook while doing pottery or decluttering my closet? It is like stepping into the world and mind of a good friend. Que rico.

This guide is my ongoing quest to curate a list of truly amazing lesbian audiobooks with incredible storytelling, narration, and representation. It’s completely spoiler-free and will be updated regularly as I uncover more gems. Let’s go!

Well-Narrated Sapphic & Lesbian Audiobooks

1. The Color Purple ★ 

I cannot believe I slept on The Color Purple for so long, what a shame my schools never taught me about this masterpiece! This book is incredibly meaningful, especially for anyone with Black or BIPOC ancestry. With my Caribbean roots, I felt so seen and thought of my grandparents as I followed Celie’s journey in the American South.

Narrated by the brilliant Alice Walker herself, the audiobook captures Celie’s confessional letters, which echo the narratives of Black people in the early 1900s. We piece together Celie’s story as she grows, witnessing her awakening and the privilege of resistance. With its revolutionary themes of queerness, self-acceptance, and forgiveness, The Color Purple is not just historical fiction; it’s a spiritual and philosophical reckoning with racism, sexism, and the power of choosing love and joy. This book is a must-listen (or read).

  • Author: Alice Walker (openly bisexual)
  • Book Type: Historical Fiction
  • Length: 8 hours, 7 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.27/5.0 (Goodreads), 4.9/5.0 (Audible), 4.6/5.0 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 1982
  • How Gay? 8/10

2. Hijab Butch Blues ★

Hijab Butch Blues is taking the queer world by storm, and for good reason. Lamya H’s memoir takes us through her life as a queer Muslim woman, spanning South Asia, the Middle East, and the USA. What makes this book truly revolutionary is the way Lamya intertwines personal stories with decolonized interpretations of the Quran, reclaiming spirituality in a way that harmonizes queerness and faith. For queers with religious trauma or discomfort, her reflections feel reframe religion to align with her queer, feminist identity in ways that are both mind-bending and make you question.

Lamya’s story is not just about finding herself, but also about redefining what belonging means in a world that often demands you pick a side. 

And the narration really brings this audiobook to life with a voice that perfectly balances vulnerability and strength. 

  • Author: Lamya H. (openly queer)
  • Book Type: Memoir
  • Length: 7 hours, 32 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.48/5 (Goodreads), 4.8/5 (Audible), 4.6/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2023
  • How Gay? 10/10

3. How to Shape a Dragon’s Breath ★

This is currently #1 on Booktok! How to Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a queer dragon-filled colonial drama set in an alternate version of the Americas during the 19th century, where colonization is in full swing. Meet Anequs, an Indigenous girl from the remote island of Masquapaug, which hasn’t seen dragons for generations. In the very first chapter, she stumbles across a dragon egg. Seems exciting, right? Except in this world, even dragons aren’t free from the chokehold of colonization. There are rules, regulations, and systems designed to control not just people but dragons too.

Anequs’s journey takes her to the mainland and straight into the Anglish College of Magic, like a Hogwarts for dragon-training academy dominated by white British colonists. The novel also delves into the complexities of magic and its intersection with cultural perspectives. Anequs’s journey highlights the contrast between her people’s understanding of dragon magic and the rigid, scientific approach imposed by the colonizers. 

  • Author: Moniquill Blackgoose
  • Book Type: Fiction, Fantasy, YA
  • Length: 16 hours, 53 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.15/5 (Goodreads), 4.6/5 (Audible), 4.5/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2023
  • How Gay? 8/10

4. Last Night at the Telegraph Club ★

Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club took me to a time and place, most of us HAVE NO IDEA ever even existed. The story follows Lily Hu, a Chinese-American teenager falling in love for the first time in 1950s San Francisco’s underground lesbian nightclub scene amid the historic time of McCarthyism and the government going after Asian Americans.

Did you know? San Francisco in the 1950s had around 12 lesbian bars, thriving against all odds in a world that felt unimaginable. Today, there are only 34 left across the U.S.

The first hour is slow and boring, but then it quickly picks up. By the time other characters take center stage, you’ll realize this isn’t just a love story. It’s a stunning exploration of Asian-American history and queer history wrapped in the intimacy of identity, family, and resilience.

Emily Woo Zeller’s narration adds richness to every scene, pulling you into the hidden world of the Telegraph Club and the quiet revolution taking place there. It reminded me of NYC’s first lesbian bar owner, Eva Kotchever. 

  • Author: Malinda Lo (openly lesbian)
  • Book Type: Historical Fiction, YA
  • Length: 12 hours, 26 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.22/5 (Goodreads), 4.6/5 (Audible), 4.5/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2021
  • How Gay? 10/10

5. Dykes to Watch Out For

Dykes to Watch Out For is a hilarious audiobook, based on Alison Bechdel’s iconic comic strip that ran from 1983 to 2008, this audiobook captures a moment in history when queer visibility was rare, but the community was alive, vibrant, and unapologetically carving out space for itself. It’s also where the Bechdel Test was born, sparking a decades-long conversation about gender bias in media that is still relevant today.

Available for FREE on Audible, this story feels like a sitcom, with hilariously relatable narration. It’s drenched in authentic lesbian culture and banter, making it feel timeless. The narration is AMAZING, it feels like a TV show with big-name celesbians playing different characters (Jane Lynch, Mara Wilson, Roxane Gay, etc).

To set the scene, here is how the audiobook starts: “It’s morning in America, June 1987, Ronald Reagan is president. The Iran-Contra hearings are all over TV. It’s 10 years before Ellen, 5 years before the founding of the Lesbian Avengers, and yet, in one small town in America, the sidewalks teem with dykes. Brazenly wearing sandals with good arch support, shamelessly forming progressive alliances with other marginalized groups. Openly eating organic wheat-free snacks. Here’s a pair of them now.”

  • Author: Alison Bechdel
  • Book Type: Fiction, Graphic Novels, Comics
  • Length: 3 hours
  • Ratings: 4.17/5 (Goodreads), 4.8/5 (Audible), 4.3/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 1986
  • How Gay? 11/10

6. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo ★

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo starts off slow. The meekness of the interviewer at the start is very unlikeable. But trust me, just get through that first chapter or two. 

Evelyn Hugo is a fiery, glamorous, and unapologetic star of old Hollywood. Hailing from humble Cuban roots, she takes us through her rise to fame, the different loves that defined her, and the power moves that kept her at the top. But this is not just a tale of Hollywood scandals and ambition, Taylor Jenkins Reid gives us an emotional exploration of sapphic love and the sacrifices we make to live authentically. Evelyn’s story is a love letter to complexity. It shows how queerness can exist in spaces where it was never meant to thrive. It is a reminder that the most daring thing we can do is live life on our terms, even if the world is not ready for us. 

There are three different narrators, who each add their own depth and nuance to the story, making it feel immersive!

  • Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid (Not openly queer nor BIPOC. I loved the book. But it’s suspicious that she’s written queer and Latina books if she’s a straight white woman. It’s giving Yellowface.)
  • Book Type: Historical Fiction, Contemporary
  • Length: 12 hours, 10 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.41/5 (Goodreads), 4.6/5  (Audible), 4.6/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2017
  • How Gay? 9/10

7. Clap When You Land

Listening to Clap When You Land feels like listening to a live, open-mic poetic performance. Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel is told in verse narration. It follows the lives of two sisters, one living in the Dominican Republic and the other in New York, who discover each other after their father’s sudden death. What follows is a tender, gut-wrenching exploration of grief, queer and multicultural identity, and the tangled, beautiful mess of family ties. The poetic rhythm gives the story an almost musical quality, making every word feel intentional and alive.

Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte’s dual narration adds depth and authenticity to the sisters’ perspectives, making their voices feel as real as the emotions they are navigating. 

I’ll admit that the spoken-word style can be hard to focus on at times. But as a queer Dominican, I was thrilled to see this cultural representation and the subtle inclusion of queer identities. 

  • Author: Elizabeth Acevedo (N/A)
  • Book Type: Fiction, YA
  • Length: 5 hours, 32 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.23/5 (Goodreads), 4.7/5 (Audible), 4.7/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2020
  • How Gay? 5/10

8. A Short History of Queer Women ★

Listening to A Short History of Queer Women feels like being schooled by your sharpest and funniest queer friend who has zero patience for historical erasure. Kirsty Loehr takes on the overlooked lives of queer women throughout history with wit as sharp as a perfectly winged eyeliner. I had no idea major icons like Billie Holiday and even Marie Antoinette were queer af. And she provides receipts.

Ellie Gossage’s narration matches Loehr’s energy, making each moment feel like a lively conversation. The book combines wit, cultural critique, and solid research into a listen that feels both accessible and eye-opening. 

  • Author: Kirsty Loehr (openly queer)
  • Book Type: Nonfiction
  • Length: 4 hours, 1 minute
  • Ratings: 3.62/5 (Goodreads), 4.8/5 (Audible), 4.6/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2022
  • How Gay? 10/10

9. Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School

Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School is for the baby queer that’s trying to overcome lesbian panic and coming out to their conservative immigrant parents. Sonora Reyes gives us a heartfelt coming-of-age story about Yami, a Mexican-American teenager struggling to balance family, school, and her identity as a lesbian. 

Growing up as the oldest daughter in a Mexican immigrant household means she’s burdened with the expectation to care for everyone else while quietly setting her own needs aside. The author captures this reality with an almost triggering portrayal. You want to scream at the characters but then realize you’d probably do the same in their shoes.

  • Author: Sonora Reyes (openly queer)
  • Book Type: Fiction, YA
  • Length: 9 hours, 28 minutes
  • Ratings: 4.26/5 (Goodreads), 4.8/5 (Audible), 4.5/5 (Amazon)
  • Year Published: 2022
  • How Gay? 10/10

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